The Daffodil Show.................a Reality Check.........

Part 1

The day was getting hotter but I still found time to school my horse again at the break. I just didn't want to leave things as there were if I could get some improvement from my horse by doing some additional schooling. When they called for the break I had my horse saddled and ready to go hoping I could get just a little bit of time to work some more at the gallop.

There was another reason for me pushing like this. I was finding it hard to escape my feelings over the loss of Solidare. It seemed like everywhere I looked I ran into another person who had known and admired this mare. The reminders of her were constant and my heart was and is still breaking.

Not long after Legs' first class, I'd run into a woman who attends my annual open house each year. When she'd asked me how I was doing, I'd disclosed about the loss of my beloved Solidare.

I could tell immediately from her face that she not only recognized my loss but she had her own to tell. I was shocked to hear that her stallion, Dreamfinder, I've know for years had lost his life just weeks before. Not only that but my friend had lost both a mare and a foal.

Dreamfinder was only twelve years old. The horse had done lots of time in the halter arena and did quite well. He'd even been in training with Eric Krichten during the time I'd worked for Eric so he was a horse I knew up close and personal.

If a horse could be a character out of a Victorian novel, Dreamfinder would have been the equine version of Heathcliff. He had a very masculine brooding kind of look about him. His dark color and huge eyes only added to his mystery.

Rolled over in the bridle the horse could be breath taking. I know he got the attention of more than one clinician at the annual Daffodil clinics. He was a horse to be reconned with. I was always relieved that he was shown in the age division under mine.

It was hard for me to grasp that this hosre was gone at such a young age. Legs is two years older than that and I think Legs is still young. I just can't imagine losing a horse a such a young age even though I have experienced it. I knew it must have been even harder for my friend. I felt as bad for her and her losses as I felt for me and mine. There seemed to be no place to go to avoid those thoughts so I saddled up my horse and headed out to ride.

Riding is about the only thing that gets my mind going all in one direction. It's not often when I'm on the back of a horse that I am distracted. This problem with Legs and the bridle was probably a good thing for me even if it was distressing for poor Legs.

We didn't get much time around the arena before other horses began to file in. I did manage to get in a couple of laps in each direction at a pretty good clip. Still coming down to the jog I had a bumpy horse that just was not what I'd remembered in months.

I did, however, had another clean ride. There were no spooks or even half way spooks anywhere throughout this ride. It was ride number four and I was beginning to think maybe, just maybe, we were on a roll.

To be continued.................

The Challenge

Visit Blog Village and vote daily for this blog Here They are now measuring the rankings by votes out, so if you find my blog on the site, please click that link too to improve my rankings. TY